Managing Assistive Technology in Hospice Homecare: Implications for Multi‐disciplinary Teams

Assistive technology can make a significant difference to the lives of service users and carers, especially when dovetailed with health, housing and social care. In support of this aim, the UK Government recently announced £80 million funding for a Preventive Technologies Grant over two years from April 2006, to extend the benefits of new technology ‘community alarms’ with the aim of reducing the number of avoidable admissions to residential care and to hospital. Once the preserve of the allied health professions, multi‐disciplinary teams of professionals are increasingly expected to take on responsibility for assistive technology and the equipment that accompanies it. This article explores the use of assistive technology from the perspective of practitioners working in multi‐disciplinary hospice homecare. It draws on the findings of a small evaluative study of 25 hospice homecare schemes which participated in a project centred on rapid access to community alarm technology. It considers obstacles to implementation and workforce development issues arising out of an increased focus on assistive technology as a means of better managing the support of terminally ill people at home.